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Whole-Brain 3D Activation and Functional Connectivity Mapping in Mice using Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging
Published on: February 24, 2021
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Detection of functional connectivity in the resting mouse brain
Fatima A Nasrallah1, Hui-Chien Tay1, Kai-Hsiang Chuang2
1Magnetic Resonance Imaging Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore.
Neuroimage
|October 26, 2013
Summary
Low-dose medetomidine sedation in mice enables detection of robust bilateral resting-state networks, similar to other species. Higher doses suppress inter-hemispheric connectivity, highlighting the importance of proper anesthesia for functional MRI studies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) is crucial for understanding brain function but challenging to detect in mice using functional MRI (fMRI).
- Anesthetic effects, particularly from medetomidine, can suppress neural activity and compromise neurovascular coupling, hindering the observation of bilateral networks in mice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of varying medetomidine dosages on neural activation and resting-state networks in the mouse brain.
- To determine optimal sedation levels for reliable detection of bilateral functional connectivity in mice.
Main Methods:
- Administered varying dosages of medetomidine (an α2 adrenoceptor agonist) to mice undergoing fMRI.
- Assessed stimulation-induced somatosensory activation and quantified resting-state functional connectivity, focusing on inter-hemispheric correlations.
Main Results:
- Low-dose medetomidine (0.1mg/kg/h) effectively stabilized mice for fMRI without compromising somatosensory activation.
- Robust bilateral connectivity was observed at low medetomidine doses in multiple brain regions, including the somatosensory cortex, visual cortex, hippocampus, caudate putamen, and thalamus.
- Higher medetomidine doses (≥0.6mg/kg/h) significantly suppressed inter-hemispheric correlations, especially in regions with high α2 adrenoceptor density.
Conclusions:
- Properly titrated medetomidine sedation is essential for preserving neurovascular coupling and detecting robust bilateral resting-state networks in mouse fMRI.
- The findings demonstrate that mouse brains exhibit similar bilateral functional connectivity to other species when appropriate anesthetic conditions are maintained.
